- The NNPC is a government-owned oil Company that was established in 1977
- Notably, 19 individuals have headed the organisation since inception in the capacity of group managing director
- TheRadar lists and provides a brief profile of all the GMDs of NNPC
Over the years, NNPC has been the largest asset holder within the Nigerian oil and gas sector. It also engages in refining, petrochemicals, product transportation and marketing.
In July 2022, NNPC became a limited liability company, although it remains a fully-owned government company.
Since the establishment of NNPC in 1977, notable individuals have emerged as group managing directors, ranging from the incumbent, Mele Kyari, to Funso Kupolokun.
TheRadar lists and provides a brief profile of the managing directors from inception to date.
All the NNPC’s managing directors from inception to date
1. Mele Kyari (2019-present)
Mele Kyari is a Nigerian geologist, crude oil marketer, and the first group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. Before this appointment, Kyari was the group general manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of the NNPC and the Nigerian National Representative at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since 2018.
2. Maikanti Baru (2016-2019)
He was a Nigerian engineer, crude oil marketer, and the 18th Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He served in this position from July 2016 to July 2019 and had previously served as the Group General Manager (GGM) of National Petroleum Investment Management Services. Maikanti Baru was a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
3. Ibe Kachikwu (2015-2016)
Ibe Kachikwu is a Nigerian politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
4. Joseph Thlama Dawha (2014-2015)
He was appointed as The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation by President Goodluck Jonathan, serving from August 2014 to August 2015. Prior to his appointment, he was the Group Executive Director of Exploration and Production of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
4. Andrew Yakubu (2012-2014)
He served as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation from 2012-2014. He was appointed by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2012. However, he and the Management team were relieved of their appointments to strengthen the reforms of NNPC by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in July 2014 and Joseph Dawha was named his successor in August 2014.
5. Augustine O. Oniwon (2010-2012)
Augustine Oniwon is a Harvard and Oxford-educated engineer who joined NNPC in 1977 and became the head of planning at the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company in 1987. Oniwon then served as technical assistant to the downstream department’s Group Executives Director (1988-91), before serving as head of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company’s Engineering and Technical Services Department (ETSD) in 1991 to 1992. Following this, he was appointed head of NNPC’s New Business Development, Corporate Planning and Development Division, until moving to become head of ETSD at Port Harcourt Refinery between 1993 to 1999.
6. Shenu Ladan (2010)
He was a Nigerian lawyer, philanthropist, and oil and gas management strategist at Kaduna State. He served as the group managing director of NNPC in 2010.
7. Muhammed Barkindo (2009-2010)
He was the Secretary General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2006. He helped to create an alliance between OPEC members and other oil-producing countries.
He led the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as the Group Managing Director from 2009 to 2010, and headed Nigeria's technical delegation to UN climate negotiations beginning in 1991
8. Abubakar Yar'Adua (2007-2009)
Abubakar Yar'adua was the former Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) under the late former president, Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua between 2007 and 2009. Yar’Adua, according to the investigation, never worked anywhere outside the NNPC. He joined the corporation as a corps member at the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) in 1976. He declared that there will be zero tolerance for corruption during his tenure.
9. Funsho Kupolokun (2003-2007)
Engineer Kupolokun holds a first degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lagos where he studied as a Shell scholar, and an honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi. He worked briefly with Shell BP before joining the Nigeria National Oil Corporation now the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He occupied various strategic roles within NNPC, including Head of Special Projects in the NNPC JV, Head of the Petroleum Engineering Department, Group General Manager, Head of NNPC’s London office and Group Executive Director, Commercial & Investment (at the time, the youngest person to serve on the NNPC Group Board).
He was appointed Special Assistant to the President on Petroleum Matters in 1999 and soon after that, he became the Group Managing Director of NNPC in 2003; a position he held till 2007.
10. Jackson G. Obaseki (1999-2003)
Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki is an energy technocrat and reformer with many landmark contributions to Nigeria’s and the global oil and gas industry. He served as NNPC’s GMD from 1999 to 2003. He had served in different positions before his most deserving appointment. He demonstrated a strong commitment to the making of policies and incentives, including the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which metamorphosed into the current Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
11. Dalhatu Bayero (1995-1999)
He served as the Group Managing Director of NNPC between 1995-1999. He was a younger brother to the former Emir of Kano, HRH Alhaji Ado Bayero.
12. Chamberlain Oyibo (1993-1995)
Chief Chamberlain Oruwari Oyibo is a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He was the 10th GMD of NNPC and served for two years from 1993 until his retirement in 1995.
13. Edmund Daukoru (1992-1993)
Edmund Maduabebe Daukoru is a former Nigerian Minister of State for Energy and was Secretary General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2006. He obtained a PhD in Geology from Imperial College, London.
He worked with Shell International Petroleum Company from 1970, where he rose from Chief Geologist to General Manager of Exploration in Nigeria. In 1992, he became Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
14. Thomas John (April 1990-June 1992)
Dr. John was the fifth Group Managing Director of NNPC, succeeding the late Dr. Aret Adams from April 1990 to June 1992. Also, he was a non-executive director of South Atlantic Petroleum (SAPETRO), executive Chairman of Hydropec Engineering Services Ltd., and former Non-Executive Director of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc., among other positions.
15. Aret Adams (1985-1990)
During his time as the Managing Director of NNPC between 1985-1990, Aret Adams introduced a group structure and merit system into the management and transformed the organisation into a mega National Corporation, able to compete globally.
16. Lawrence Amu (1981-1985)
He obtained a B.S.C in Engineering from The Imperial College of Science & Technology in 1960. In August 1981, he was announced as the new Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) while he was in Canada, finalising the final engineering designs of the 6 x 230 MW Egbin Power Station. He never applied for this role.
18. Odoliyi Lolomari (1980-1981)
Chief Odoliyi Lolomari served as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Nigeria’s OPEC representative. He has over 50 years experience in the petroleum industry having served as the Chairman of Frontier Oil Limited, Founding Member of the Nigerian National Oil Company (NNOC), and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). Also, he is a Fellow of the Institute of Petroleum, London and the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of London and a Diploma in Oil Technology from the Imperial College (DIC), London.
19. Remilekun Marinho (1977-1980)
Armed with degrees from the University College, Ibadan and the Imperial College, London, Marinho joined the Hydrocarbons Section of Nigeria's Ministry of Mines and Power and Lagos Affairs. He later became the pioneer and two-time Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (1977 - 1980 and 1984 - 1985)
Chief Marinho’s administration developed policies and practices in the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria, with initial production of about 50,000 barrels a day to its established potential of more than 2.5 million barrels at the time of his retirement.
IPMAN appeals to FG to intervene as NNPCL withholds fuel supplies
Meanwhile, TheRadar previously wrote on the scarcity of fuel in the South West which was caused by the NNPCL’s (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited) refusal to deliver products to IPMAN (Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria) members, despite payments being made three months ago.
In lieu of this, IPMAN Mosimi Depot in Ogun State on Tuesday, August 20, requested for the NNPCL to supply petroleum products totalling N75.142 billion, with payments having been completed by its members since June.
IPMAN Mosimi Depot, therefore, appealed to all patriotic Nigerians and the Federal Governments to help pressure NNPCL’s management to resolve the situation or risk seeing the corporation succeed in pushing its members out of the industry.
